A Necromancer's Journey To Heaven's Gate

Life is fair—it follows fixed rules and remains impartial regardless of race, age, or gender.

Natural selection is something that all living things must face, and humans are no exception.

In the beginning, only humans occupied the continent, and they lived in prosperity and harmony. Technology was scarce because magic existed—a proof of man's bond with nature.

These people were referred to as nature's blessed and deeply admired.

Human empires and kingdoms of different sizes, colors, and cultures existed then, but there was no need for conflict because the land was blessed. Abundance brought about peace and unity, which many believed would last forever.

Unfortunately, nothing good lasts forever— the peace cherished and enjoyed by everyone was broken.

From the east came the orcs—beasts of incredible physical endowment, and each possessed unique traits of various beasts. Meanwhile, elves came in from the West, carrying their unrivaled affinity to nature and millennial old knowledge.

To the north were the dwarves with their muskets, tanks, and war machines. The continent was ravaged by war; many empires weren't prepared because they had never experienced war.

The fall of the first human empire marked the beginning of a domino effect which almost resulted in the complete annihilation of the human race. 

A thousand years of war passed and these invading races established themselves in the continent, building majestic empires and leeching off the continent's resources, while the human race had been reduced to one last empire—Valgard Empire.

"Val" from valor and "gard" from guard, symbolizing a final defense.

A millennium of war was bound to change the victims and their view of the world. The unmerited kindness humans once had faded, and equality became a myth.

The word nature's blessed was abandoned and Magus was adopted. A new system was put in place—one that prioritized humans with magic affinity over normal humans.

A system was created in which subsidiary kingdoms were graded based on the quality of mages they produced. The higher a kingdom's grade the closer it was to the capital which was the safest place in the world for humans.

Those at the bottom of the barrel were placed on the outskirts of the empire, unprotected. Villages and towns located on the outskirts suffered from constant raids from bandits, orc, elf, or dwarf troops—depending on the region. 

Regardless, all was brutal and bloody

Everything bad that met the empire met them first

'Power over everything' was the mentality adopted to prevent the extinction of the human race and this mindset.

— Loth Kingdom, Grade 5 —

Silas was an indigene of Thornfield village, one of many villages in the Loth Kingdom but arguably the most devastated. Constant raids from bandits had led to the death of thousands—Silas' parents were victims.

At the age of 14, Silas became an orphan who had to raise his 8-year-old sister alone. One would think the community would come together to raise these two, but that never happened.

Why?

Because there were many like Silas—people who lost their family to one of the brutal orc raids. Their situation was nothing special, and Silas did not shy away from his responsibility.

All he had was the small home his family once shared and the land assigned to them. Yes, assigned—commoners like Silas lacked nature's blessings and could not have a last name or own land. The land in which they grew crops was owned by a Lord who gave them scrap after their effort.

Thankfully, Silas had never been weak-willed or physically lacking. Just at the age of 16, he was a 6-foot-tall teenager who worked harder than 20-year-olds.

He was paid as much as other men who had families to feed and since he only had his sister to worry about, his payments were more than enough to take care of his sister.

The first year without his parents was the hardest, especially since more raids occurred, but with time, Silas slowly began adjusting to the new life.

— 4 years later —

The moonlight hung high over the dark night—its rays blocked by the dark clouds clustered above. Since the village resided in a forested area, houses were made of timber wood and thatched roofs. 

Knock! Knock!

"Come eat while it's hot!" A low, melodious voice resonated from the door, accompanied by gentle knocks on the door.

On a straw bed lay a 6.3 youth dressed in rags and with long bushy hair. A permanent blank expression was etched on his dirty face, and his rough skin was proof of his years of hard labor in the fields.

Silas was autistic—an odd man out in the group, so he never made friends. His only companion had been Ruth, whom he had catered for over two years now.

As long as she remained happy, he was satisfied. 

Silas had returned from the fields a few hours ago and decided to take a nap while Ruth prepared dinner.

"I guess I overslept." He mumbled dully while rubbing his aching shoulders. 

His diligent work in the fields was the sole reason for Silas' sturdy build. His intimidating figure made people often mistake him for a man, and his quiet nature didn't help his situation either.

The room was only big enough to fit his small straw bed, a few handmade shelves and a wardrobe. Silas flicked the door open and the aroma of fresh soup and freshly baked bean cakes.

His dull gaze gleamed with excitement, but most wouldn't notice the difference—except Ruth.

On the other side of the door was a twelve-year-old with bright ginger hair, which their dad had—Silas had inherited their mother's dark hair and eyes while Ruth took after their father.

Ruth's long pigtails complimented her dimples and tiny nose. She had an innocent look that could disarm even the most cruel men.